Rival's Strength
by Katya Noctis
Summary: Seto Kaiba takes the safety of the duelists competing in his tournaments very seriously. Especially when it concerns his greatest rival. (Mild Rivalshipping, post-DSOD/canon)


**Rival's Strength**

Pairing: Mild Rivalshipping

Warnings: non-con scene (not Rivalshipping)

Timeline: post-canon, post-DSOD

* * *

Seto Kaiba frowned in concentration, moving the 3D model of his latest VR simulation gadget around his screen, occasionally zooming in to scrutinize a tiny detail. It would be going to the factory for the test model manufacturing, and Seto wanted it as close to perfect as he could get. He knew perfectly well, of course, that once the beta model was in his hands and being put through its paces, he and his team would find flaws in its performance, or figure out a potential improvement to its speed...but he prided himself on not only the genius of his inventions, but his thoroughness in checking for any bugs prior to trying them out.

He _should_ have been preparing his notes for the quarter-finals of his latest dueling tournament, but he was itching to finish this so he could get it sent out. There was nothing quite like the feeling of holding one of his own concepts in his hands, after months of designing, tweaking, brainstorming, and re-thinking every detail.

Besides, it wasn't like the tournament was a new thing to him, anyway. He'd hosted far grander, larger events than this. However, it would be highly embarrassing if the host and current champion screwed something up tomorrow, so he'd better review things just in case.

Deciding that he'd given the schematics as thorough a look as he could, he closed out of the files and sent them off with his approval for beta manufacture and testing. He felt a little thrill as he did so; if all went as planned, soon, there would be an even better VR connector on the market.

It was late, well past 11, and he had a long day the next day. The quarter- and semi-finals were tomorrow, and potentially the finals as well, depending on how quickly things went. And considering that he was competing to preserve his reigning championship, he knew he should get to bed.

But he was keyed up tonight. Perhaps it was due to this latest project, but he couldn't relax. He felt almost...on-edge.

He pulled up the tournament standings, flicking through the losers without a second glance and studying the current quarter-finalists more closely, pausing at one very familiar name.

Yugi had taken some convincing to enter, but had performed as well as he always had, with or without the pharaoh. He knew that Yugi wasn't interested in a professional dueling career and wanted to design games instead...but tournaments without him were downright boring. It had taken Seto's admission of this fact to finally sway Yugi into surprised acceptance, but it was true - the fact was, no one could surpass Yugi in sheer skill, and he was the only person who still gave Seto a fight that made him sweat.

Seto thoroughly expected that they would go head to head for the championship, and Yugi was not proving him wrong so far. He felt a smile twitch at the corners of his mouth. He was as strong as the pharaoh, and as confident. Good. A strong opponent was the best kind.

His phone buzzed, cutting suddenly through the quiet of his home office, the alert making him jump slightly. He frowned when he saw it was the tournament's head of security.

He took the call. "Yes?" he said curtly.

"Mr. Kaiba, sir…" a slightly nervous-sounding man's voice crackled through the line, his hesitation instantly irritating Seto.

"I assume you called me this late for something _important_ ," he said dryly, hoping the man would take the hint.

He did. "Right. Yes, sir," he said in a rush. "You asked to be informed if any threats to the duelists' or stadium's safety were uncovered."

Seto was instantly alert, all senses sharp. "Yes. What came up?" He kept his tone the same; letting the man know he was even slightly worried was not in his nature.

"We've confirmed that at least one of the eliminated duelists from earlier today is planning an attack on Yugi Mutou. They're planning something tonight so he can't compete tom-"

"What?!" Seto snapped, suddenly angry, all thoughts of maintaining calm abandoned. "Why are you only reporting this to me _now_?!" One-handed, he began keying in commands to his computer, pulling up video feeds from around the city.

He heard an audible gulp. "M-my apologies, Mr. Kaiba, but we were only able to verify the rumor not long ago ourselves."

"Enough," Seto snapped, fury and something akin to worry (but definitely not actual worry) rising in him. "Put out an alert. Keep a patrol, keep an eye on the cameras. If you see anything suspicious, report it to me _immediately_ , understand?"

He hung up on the man's stammering confirmation, gripping his phone so hard, he felt his knuckles ache. Anger burned in him.

Yugi was his first and only rival, now that Atem was gone into the afterlife...and now that Seto had discovered that it took _a huge_ amount of effort and energy to transcend dimensions, enough that his one encounter would be the only one for quite some time. Far from being a sad echo of the pharaoh, Yugi was strong and smart in his own right, a True Duelist to his core, and Seto had absolutely no intention of letting some sore loser without any honor try to knock him out of the running.

Not until he came face to face with himself, anyway. That was his job, and his alone. And it would be on an evenly matched dueling field, with honor and respect.

That was the only kind of defeat he would accept. And it was the only one he would accept for his greatest rival.

That was his only reason for concern.

He tossed his phone down and began typing in rapid commands. He had his facial recognition system scan Yugi's face (and hair) and then input it to search for matches in his surveillance monitors. As the system whirred in the background, he scanned shots of the streets himself, starting near the Game Shop and making his way outward.

If Yugi found out, he'd probably have something to say to him about stalking, but KaibaCorp owned the cameras the police used for crime fighting...and he would not ignore a valuable source of information. Ever. It was highly probable that Yugi was home and safe, but it never hurt to be sure. His staff would not have alerted him if it wasn't a real danger, and considering their tardiness in reporting it in the first place, he couldn't trust them to act quickly.

A ding indicating a match sounded, and he pulled up the software, found the camera identification number indicated, and had it on screen in record time.

It was him, all right, walking with Joey Wheeler past a familiar square, a fountain tinkling nearby. The hair alone was unmistakable, as were the dress shirt and pants that had become his uniform since graduating.

Seto growled softly to himself, irritation momentarily spiking in tandem with slight relief. That obnoxious pseudo-duelist had gotten into the quarter-finals himself, and Seto was not altogether pleased...however, no one could deny that he could fight, and would defend his best friend with his life. And however strong Yugi had become, he was still half his own size.

If that loser ended up being the reason his rival made it home safe tonight, he would have to owe him a favor. That galled him more than he cared to admit.

He was about to relax when he realized they were parting ways. Fine, then...he would watch Yugi walk home. The top duelist in the world, aside from himself, had to be in good fighting shape tomorrow, or the tournament wouldn't go nearly as well as he'd planned. True Duelists deserved respect. Except perhaps for Wheeler. But Seto never counted him as a True Duelist anyway, whatever Yugi said.

That was, of course, the only reason he kept watching.

He pulled up other cameras, watching the surrounding streets. He realized that he was pushing the bounds of ridiculousness even for his own standards, but he had a strong feeling in his gut that something _was_ going to happen. His instincts were usually correct. So he scanned every corner and every alley.

Then he saw a shadow move, detaching itself from a dark alcove barely three blocks behind Yugi's ambling form. Seto tensed, readying his facial recognition program to identify the asshole, annoyed beyond reason that the camera angle would be from behind.

Then the shadow became three. Two shorter men and one tall one began to tail his rival. Despite the shorter two also being rather skinny, all three were definitely larger than their target. And even if Yugi knew they were there, he'd never make it home even at a dead run.

Damn it. He had to do something.

Seto hardly stopped to think. Grabbing his phone and a digital tablet, he strode out of his home office, calling his personal security staff and tersely commanding them to get his helicopter up and running _immediately_.

He pulled up the camera feed onto his tablet as he hurried to the landing pad on his roof. He knew where they were; he recognized the streets. It was just a bare minute or two away once they were airborne. Hopefully.

It was that minute or two that would decide whether his rival would duel tomorrow...or whether he'd even be able to stand. Three against one, that was tough odds for just about anyone. Three against Yugi - nonviolent, quiet, pint-sized Yugi - would not end well.

"Get in," he snapped at two of his security guards, to their obvious surprise, as he approached the chopper. "One of our duelists is in danger. We're stopping an attack."

"On who?" One had the audacity to ask, though she clambered in quickly as she did so. Her partner, a burly but agile man nearly as tall as himself, glanced at him as though gauging his reaction. Usually, he brooked no questions from his subordinates.

"Yugi Mutou," Seto growled. "Some _idiots_ think it's acceptable to knock him out of the running by force." He knew they'd know who he was; most people did. Sure enough, twin expressions of shock and understanding showed as he climbed in behind them. His diminutive rival was extremely popular; everyone liked his unassuming attitude and incredible ability to pull a victory from a tough spot.

Another reason to stop this. No one would react well if the favorite champion got attacked on _his_ watch, because of _his_ tournament.

He barked out the street intersection to the pilot and they took off. Hurriedly, he glanced down at his tablet, and cursed. They'd gone off camera. He switched views until he found them.

They'd begun to catch up. They weren't even pretending to be on the same street by coincidence; they had the look of predators stalking prey. Yugi, however, seemed to be oblivious.

He had to change that. He had to at least give Yugi a fighting chance. He pulled out his phone; thankfully, he had his rival's mobile number. He texted quickly, silently cursing himself for not thinking to do so before now.

 _Walk faster. Enemies following._ He sent it, knowing it was cryptic but hoping Yugi would trust him. He usually did. And seconds counted here.

The three sore losers - the tall one, he recognized as Yugi's last opponent; he'd been thoroughly trounced - were only a block and a half away now. There was no one else in sight.

Yugi slowed slightly, and pulled out his phone. Seto saw him read quickly, then tense as his head shot up and he began to walk faster. He didn't look behind him; he didn't need to. Seto felt gratified that he had indeed trusted his message immediately, but did not like how close his pursuers were.

"How much longer?" he growled.

"Two minutes, sir," the female guard said.

The three had noticed the change. _Shit_. Seto saw them look at each other; the tall one nodded, and they took off.

Yugi gave the barest glance behind him at the noise and immediately broke into a sprint. Seto nearly dropped the tablet as he fumbled to switch to the next camera. This time he had a better view. He sent a command to his home computer to run their faces.

They were too fast for him. In bare seconds, they'd surrounded him.

" _Shit_ ," Seto cursed aloud.

He watched, seething with frustration, hating that he was powerless at that specific moment.

Yugi put up a fight; he always did, no matter the odds. But they were too many, and too fast. He dodged at first as the tall one attempted to grab him, lashing out at his assailant and connecting with his forearm. He spun away just barely in time, as one of the lackeys rushed at him and ended up knocking into the large one instead. Seto was mildly impressed when he threw a fierce punch and connected with the other lackey's eye _hard._

Recognition on his face as the tall one said something, making him pause for a fraction of a second. A fist from behind sent him staggering into the grip of the tallest; Yugi struck out but was shoved backward. Two harsh blows to his face from one of the shorter ones sent him sprawling; the second short one pounced, driving his foot into Yugi's stomach with such ferocity that Seto inadvertently winced. Then he did it again.

" _How much longer?!"_ he snarled, not caring how frantic he sounded.

"Nearly there, sir," came the prompt reply, but he hardly heard.

Yugi was being dragged up to his knees, the two short lackeys twisting his arms behind his back. His face already looked terrible, but his eyes at least were alert and defiant, and he was struggling.

The tall one stalked up to them. At the angle Seto was watching from, he couldn't see his face.

He did, however, see the man's hand go to his fly...and unzip his pants.

 ** _No._**

Yugi immediately started struggling harder, but they were too strong. Seto felt bile rise in his throat; he bit down the verbal obscenities he wanted to scream out.

A kick to the gut from the tall one. Yugi slumped, obviously winded, but the lackeys didn't release their hold. They grinned nastily, the tall one grabbed Yugi's hair, dragging his head up…

...and held it there, shoving his dick into Yugi's mouth.

Seto saw red. _"Goddammit, get us there NOW,"_ he snarled. "HE NEEDS US _NOW_."

He barely heard the response. He couldn't tear his gaze away. The tall one was thrusting roughly, his hands cruelly gripping Yugi's hair, the lackeys were laughing... _laughing._ White hot hatred and fury shot through him. How dare they, how _fucking dare they…_

The tall one thrusted one last time and pulled out, letting Yugi's head drop. Seto saw white dripping from his mouth as it did so.

And tears on his face.

"One block away, sir!" the shout cut through his fury. He tossed the tablet aside, but not before seeing the short men start meddling with Yugi's pants.

"Sir?" the male guard said tentatively.

Seto tossed them both rappel lines. "They're sexually assaulting him," was all he managed through clenched teeth. Both sets of eyes widened. He didn't bother hiding his rage. "Show. No. Mercy."

They nodded.

"Here, sir!" the pilot called. Seto opened the side door, the chopper's spotlight swinging down to illuminate the sick scene. The bright light made all three criminals jump and look up, panic-stricken. Two were holding Yugi face down, bent over some cinderblocks, his lower half nearly bare. The third - a short one - had paused with his hand unzipping his fly.

Seto didn't wait. He didn't even wait for the line to lower himself safely. He just _jumped_.

He landed perfectly, right next to the one standing with his hands on his zipper. Seto loomed over him, disgust and hatred boiling. His pathetic, stupid face drained of color as he met Seto's furious gaze. Seto hauled him up by his shirt collar. "You _disgusting rat_ ," he snarled, hurling him towards the brick wall opposite them. He connected with a very satisfying _thud_ , and did not get up when he hit the ground.

He whirled to face the two remaining, but his security team were subduing them already; they'd clearly tried to run and failed, and his team looked ready to drag them away. At his look, however, they merely held them both in place. He glared down at them both, and had the satisfaction of seeing their faces change from anger to terror when they realized who was in front of them.

"You _dare_ ," he growled softly, "lay hands on the King of Games." They both swallowed visibly.

The tall man's fly was still open. Seto took grim pleasure in shoving his knee into it, hoping he'd do some damage. The man's choked gurgle of pain told him he'd done his job. He did it again for good measure, eliciting a high-pitched whine.

"So," he continued, keeping himself to a low snarl. "You can't defeat Yugi on the battlefield. So you decide that you're going to _assault him_. You risked his life AND my tournament, because _you_ couldn't deal with _losing a fucking match_ ** _to the King of Games_.** " His voice was growing louder with every word, but he didn't care. "NO ONE can defeat Yugi Mutou in the dueling arena except for _me_ , you pathetic _scum_. He is ten times the duelist you sacks of shit could _ever_ be," he grabbed both of them by their hair, smirking as they winced. "Now, let me make this VERY clear. I've decided to spare you for now. But hear this. You ever, EVER come ANYWHERE near Yugi again...and you won't survive. AM I UNDERSTOOD?"

HIs last sentence was a roar that made them both flinch. But they nodded quickly. He let them go and looked at the guards holding them. They looked angry and determined.

"Show no mercy," he growled. "But leave them alive." The man nodded. The woman smiled grimly.

He turned to his rival as they dragged the two off a ways, around a corner. His stomach twisted painfully.

Yugi had stayed where they'd held him...but he'd at least gotten up to his knees. One hand was attempting to pull up his underwear. The other was supporting his weight; his head bent so his bangs covered his face. He was shaking violently from head to foot, and Seto couldn't quite tell if his quiet gasps for breath were just that or masking sobs.

He crouched next to his rival, taking care to move slowly. "Yugi," he said, and Yugi flinched sharply. "Yugi," he said more quietly, trying to sound gentle. "You're safe now."

"K-Kaiba," Yugi's voice was shaky. Seto's stomach twisted further.

"Did…" he swallowed hard. "Did they...did they manage…" He faltered, unsure how to ask the question. But he had to know how injured Yugi truly was.

"N-no," Yugi's tone was both frightened and relieved.

"Good," Seto felt bile rise in his throat all over again. He was not the type to apologize, and he knew he'd gotten there as fast as he could...but he felt almost compelled to apologize to his rival, that he wasn't fast enough. He swallowed hard. "Yugi, if...if you're willing, I can get you examined and then get you home safely," he said awkwardly, rising to his feet.

A small nod was his only answer.

"Can you stand?"

Yugi paused a moment, then tried to push himself up slowly, keeping his head down. Seto got a glimpse of his face as he shifted. He wasn't crying...but he had the look of shock that came with just barely escaping pure terror. He only got about halfway to his feet before a hiss of pain escaped and he nearly collapsed.

Instinctively, Seto grabbed him under his arm to keep him from falling, and promptly regretted it when Yugi cringed sharply away. Part of him knew that it was a reflex, not a show of true mistrust, but he mentally kicked himself for it anyway.

After a moment, though, Yugi's arm shifted, his hand coming up to grip Seto's forearm so he was using it for balance. He very carefully did not look down as Yugi's other hand moved to fix his pants; he fixed his gaze down the street, watching for anyone else.

He did, however, look instinctively when he felt Yugi spasm and his grip suddenly tighten. He watched his rival vomit, heaving the contents of his stomach onto the cinder blocks he'd been lying on moments before. Seto held on, keeping him steady, letting him take his time recovering, his breath coming in harsh gasps. Seto realized with a slight frown that while there were tissues in the chopper, there wasn't water. Yugi would have to wait on that.

"Mr. Kaiba," the woman's voice rang out; Seto saw the pair of guards moving towards them purposefully. Yugi jumped a little at the unexpected voice but stayed where he was. His pants, Seto noted with mild relief, were fully up.

"You've taken care of things," Seto said. It was not a question, but a confirmation.

"Yes sir," the man said. "They won't be moving anytime soon."

"Alive?"

"Barely," the woman's neutral expression became sinisterly satisfied for a bare moment.

"Good," Seto said briskly. "Alert the authorities. Pull the camera footage. My system will have identified them by now; there will be no chance of them escaping prison."

They nodded, and Seto turned his attention back to Yugi, who was still leaning on his arm a little, but watching the exchange, apprehension on his face. "Yugi," he said, reminding himself to keep his tone quiet. Yugi's gaze darted up to his and then moved back down. "Think you can handle getting into my helicopter or will you need help?"

Yugi looked up at the hovering helicopter, then at the slender lines with footholds at the bottom lowering down. He swallowed. "I think," he rasped, "I'll...need help."

"All right." He helped Yugi stumble over to the ascension line, then hoisted him over his shoulder. He held Yugi's legs steady and felt his rival grip his ribcage. He _really_ was tiny; he weighed hardly anything. "Let's go." He stepped into the foothold and took hold firmly as they began to rise. He watched his security pair grab their own and rise below them.

Efficient and competent, those two. He would have to promote them.

He got Yugi settled into a chair, then called his personal physician, explaining that he had a patient who needed attention. It was nearing midnight, but the man sounded alert and agreed to make his way to the Kaiba mansion immediately.

The ride back passed mostly in silence, with the sole exception of the security team talking to the authorities on their headsets. Yugi was curled in on himself, staring in front of him, his gaze unfocused and slightly fearful. After a while, however, he spoke.

"You knew." It wasn't an accusation, merely an observation. Seto grunted in acknowledgement. "How?"

He knew he owed Yugi an explanation and now was as good a time as any. "I take the safety of my tournaments very seriously, Yugi," he said matter-of-factly. "If there are any reports of potential threats, whether to myself or the stadium or the duelists themselves, my security team knows to investigate and let me know." Irritation rose in him again. "Unfortunately, the rumor that someone was going to target _you_ didn't reach me until a mere few minutes before it actually happened." He growled a little, still angry that he'd been unable to prevent it. He was going to fire whoever had made the decision to wait on telling him. "I would have told you immediately if it had come to my attention earlier. And made sure you had protection."

"...thank you." Yugi's voice was quiet. He still wasn't looking at Seto.

He hated seeing Yugi like this. He couldn't stand it. He'd become accustomed to his rival's confident gaze and determined stance; seeing him frightened, ashamed, and hurt made him grind his teeth.

"Be strong, Yugi," he said, sounding a little more terse than he'd intended. "The shame lies with those pathetic shitbags who attacked you. Nothing you did or were made to do is cause for guilt."

Yugi opened his mouth and then closed it again. He nodded. Seto knew that there wasn't much he could say that would change his mind at the moment.

They arrived at his home within the next minute, and landed safely. Yugi needed his assistance getting down, but quietly insisted on walking on his own as they made their way to the study where his physician would be waiting. Seto could tell it hurt, but Yugi apparently disliked being helpless as much as he did.

"Mr. Kaiba," his doctor greeted him when they walked in.

"Doctor," he acknowledged. "This is your patient. Yugi, this is Dr. Mako, my personal physician." Yugi's gaze was on the floor but he nodded in acknowledgment. "Yugi...would you like me to stay, or would you prefer to be examined privately?"

He wasn't entirely sure why he asked that question. But for some reason, he wanted to stay close to his rival.

Yugi, apparently, felt similarly...or at least, he trusted Seto. "Stay, please," he said quietly. "But...don't look…?" he finished hesitantly.

"Of course," Seto responded crisply. He sat in a chair near the door and pulled out his phone. "He needs water," he added to the doctor. "We had nothing in the chopper."

"Noted," Dr. Mako said, gesturing for Yugi to sit on the desk near him. Yugi obeyed and Seto looked down, reading reports on his phone but keeping a sharp ear out. He heard the doctor open a bottle and pour some of its contents into a cup. "Mr. Mutou, I can tell that whatever happened tonight was traumatic. But to treat you, I need you to tell me in your own words what happened, okay? And I also need you to remove your shirt."

Seto determinedly did not look as rustling told him that Yugi was doing as requested. He was curious - and concerned, he finally admitted to himself - about Yugi's injuries but he'd specifically asked that Seto not look, and he rarely requested anything. So he resolved not to look.

Yugi began to tell the story, haltingly. Walking home on his own, receiving a cryptic but severe warning on his phone from Seto. Getting cornered by the three men, two of whom he'd dueled in the tournament and roundly defeated. He described them when asked, occasionally pausing to take a sip from the cup.

During one such pause, Seto interjected, not looking away from his phone. "We have video footage of the whole thing recorded. Once the authorities arrest them, we'll bring it in. They'll stand no chance," he couldn't help adding, grimly satisfied.

"Well, that's good," Dr. Mako sounded relieved. "Mr. Mutou, whenever you're ready…" he cut off as Yugi sucked in his breath sharply. Seto glanced up before he could stop himself.

Dr. Mako had been examining Yugi as he talked. At that moment, however, he'd gently pressed his fingers to a nasty bruise on Yugi's ribcage. "Breathe, Mr. Mutou," he said gently. "I'm checking to see if anything is broken, that's all." Yugi nodded, his battered face scrunched tight. Aside from that, a couple of very nasty bruises were blooming on his upper abdomen...but otherwise he looked okay, apart from the bruises and mild scrape on his face.

Seto looked back down before Yugi noticed he'd broken his word, however inadvertently.

"Well, that looks painful, but I don't think there's any break or fracture," said the doctor. "Any stabbing pain when you breathe?"

Seto heard an experimental breath. "No."

"Excellent. Now, your pants, please. And you were saying…"

Yugi took another breath and continued. When he got to the assault, however, he faltered.

 _He asked you not to look_ , Seto reminded himself firmly, but it was an exercise of restraint.

"...you were held down. And penetrated?" Dr. Mako's voice was gentle, laced with sympathy.

"...yes." Yugi's voice was a bare whisper.

"Anally?"

"No."

"Orally?"

"Yes."

Dr. Mako let out a breath. "If I'd known that when you walked in, I would have taken a saliva sample from you before you started drinking that water. But since we have it all recorded, that may not have been necessary anyway." His tone was not irritable or admonishing, but Seto felt like kicking himself for not thinking of it. Even though Yugi had vomited…

"I'm sorry." Yugi's voice was, if possible, even softer.

"He threw up after we got to him, doctor," Seto hastened to add; Yugi _should not_ feel guilty about this. "There may not have been much just from that."

"I see. Well, that's understandable. No need to apologize, Mr. Mutou, it's not something most people think of after something like this." He paused. "I take it that Mr. Kaiba arrived after that."

"Yeah."

"Well. Mr. Mutou, you are very lucky, though I imagine it doesn't feel that way right now. You have no lasting damage, your bruises will fade in a few days, and the scrapes in fewer. If you would like counseling, I can recommend a couple of excellent people. For now, you can put your clothes back on and go home. The best thing for you right now is rest."

"Okay."

Rustling. Seto rose, making sure he was looking off to the side. "I'll show you out, Doctor," he said calmly, intending to give Yugi the privacy he needed.

Dr. Mako took his hint. "Sounds good. Mr. Mutou...if you need anything, or feel any pain that shouldn't be happening over the next few days, please contact me. Here's my card."

Yugi mumbled his thanks. Seto moved to the door. "Yugi, I'll be right out here. Once you're dressed, I can get you home." He didn't wait for Yugi's response and stepped outside. The doctor followed, closing the door behind him.

"Thank you," Seto said, when they were face to face. "I know it was a late call."

"Par for the course with you, Mr. Kaiba," the doctor smiled. Then he sighed, the smile melting away to sadness. "He'll definitely need counseling. And...well, I'm sure you took care of things as thoroughly as you always do, sir...but I hope you gave those cretins what they deserved. My son follows the duel tournaments, you know, and he looks up to Mr. Mutou quite a bit."

"A lot of people do," agreed Seto, without any bitterness. It was just a fact. "And yes...rest assured, my team notified the police as soon as we left...but either way, we made sure they learned their lesson." He couldn't stop a small smirk raising his lips, remembering the loud thud that told him his target had been knocked out cold.

"Good." Dr. Mako turned. "I know the way out, sir. Stay with Mr. Mutou; he needs support right now."

"I will," Seto responded. "And get me the names of those therapists; I'll make sure to pass them along."

"Will do." The doctor walked off.

Seto frowned after him thoughtfully. He wondered whether Yugi would be fit to duel tomorrow. He certainly wanted him to, of course; that was a given. But considering how shaken he was...maybe it wouldn't be in his best interest. Seto certainly wouldn't force him...but he'd be lying if he tried to say that it wouldn't matter if he dropped out, after he'd taken so much convincing to enter in the first place.

The door to the study opened, pulling him out of his thoughts. Yugi, fully dressed, stepped out, his gaze resting somewhere around Seto's shoulder, but not moving up to meet his eyes.

"Got everything?" he asked, trying to ignore the pang in his gut at Yugi's inability to look him in the eye. Yugi nodded. "Let's go, then," Seto gestured down the hallway. "I'll have a car brought up." He turned, and Yugi followed slowly. He made sure to measure his pace so Yugi had no problem keeping up, and for a moment, they walked in silence towards the main staircase that led to the front door.

Seto decided that now was as good a time as any to ask.

"Yugi," he said, stopping short of the stairs. Yugi stopped and looked up at him warily...though at his shoulder again, not his face. "About tomorrow…" Yugi's face seemed to drain of color all at once and he immediately looked down. Seto persisted. "If you decide you don't want to duel tomorrow, I will understand." He wouldn't _like it_ , but he would understand. "However...I hope you do."

Yugi's hands gripped the hem of his shirt, which, Seto noticed for the first time, was rather dirty from the fight. "Why?" he whispered.

 _Do you even have to ask that_ , Seto thought, momentarily irritated, but did not say. Aloud, he said, keeping his tone as frank as possible, "Several reasons. For one thing, those sacks of garbage apparently did what they did to knock you out of the running. That's what our report said, anyway," he added, when Yugi glanced up at him in surprise. "To show up tomorrow, despite everything that happened tonight, will signal both to them and to the world that they _failed_. That force does not work with you. On top of that, we got a report tonight in the first place because people are talking and the rumor is spreading. Who knows what embellishments it's taken on, but either way, you show up and duel tomorrow, no matter what condition you're in...people are paying attention, Yugi, and you'll be a hero to them."

Yugi was quiet for a moment. "Then there's the fact that you don't want the effort you put into getting me into the tournament in the first place to go to waste," he said, his tone rather flat.

Seto snorted. "There is that," he admitted. "But aside from that, and on top of what I just outlined...I know you can handle it, Yugi."

Yugi took a breath. Then another. "...I don't know if I can," he said softly, tremulously.

"Of course you can," Seto said, trying not to let his incredulity show, but seeing Yugi so uncertain about something that to Seto was unequivocal fact was almost _offensive_. "I've seen you, Yugi. You run into danger when anyone else would run away. You've put your own life on the line for your friends; you will get to your feet after being constantly knocked down when anyone else would have stayed down or passed out. You have a core of _steel_ , Yugi." Yugi's head shot up and he gaped at Seto, but he wasn't finished; the words kept tumbling from his mouth. "You never give up, you duel until the last card, you fight with honor _every single time_ , no matter how crooked your opponent is. You are the _only_ person I recognize as my rival. If and when you are defeated, it will be _by me_ on the dueling field, fair and square and with honor, _not_ in some back alley by those sad hacks that couldn't get over a goddamn _early-round tournament loss_."

He realized that he was yelling. Or...well, not entirely _yelling_ , but he'd been a lot louder than he'd intended. He also realized he was angry - angry at Yugi's attackers, angry at Yugi for needing such an obvious reminder of who he was. The latter, one small part of his mind knew, was out of bounds...but he ignored it.

Yugi, thankfully, did not seem upset. He had gone from staring open-mouthed at Seto - and almost looking him in the eye, to boot - to looking down the staircase thoughtfully, his arms crossed.

Seto felt his face get a little warm. But he watched his rival. "You are strong, Yugi. Strong enough for this. If, however, you decide to bow out, I will _make sure_ everyone knows that is ONLY because of a physical injury that requires you being off your feet, nothing else. And either way you decide, you will be safe."

"Safe?"

Seto rolled his eyes. "Do you really think I'd drop you onto the street on your own after what just happened? You'll be driven home tonight, and if you duel tomorrow, there will be extra security for you. If you don't, I'll have someone shadow you for a few days, to make sure no one else decides that physical threats are acceptable."

Yugi let out a long breath, and Seto swore he saw the ghost of a smile flicker across his face. "I didn't realize you cared so much, Kaiba."

Seto felt his face get warmer. He hadn't realized he cared so much, either, to be honest. He decided on a safe answer. "Duelists in my tournaments need to know their safety is guaranteed. Furthermore, you and I are the greatest duelists in the world. _You_ are the King of Games. If I demand respect, which _obviously_ I do, so should you. Nothing that happened tonight changes that."

To his surprise, Yugi's eyes filled with tears. He blinked them back, seemingly collecting himself. "Thank you," he said quietly. "Give...give me a few minutes to think about it?" His gaze dropped back to the floor.

"All right," Seto agreed. He headed down the stairs, Yugi following. He asked his butler to get his car and driver ready, and stood next to Yugi as they waited.

A few moments of rather uncomfortable silence passed.

"...Kaiba," Yugi eventually whispered. "I want...to tell you something."

"Okay," Seto said, not entirely sure where he was going with this.

Yugi drew a shuddering breath, not looking in his direction, and Seto realized he was shaking. "They said…" he swallowed. "They were going to...take turns."

Seto felt his insides turn to ice. "...what?" he rasped, his throat suddenly dry.

"...with me. Until...they got bored. They called it..they...called it...a game." Yugi's hands balled into fists, and Seto heard a nearly silent sob. He felt rooted to the spot, horror slicing through him. "I don't...I don't think...I would have survived. If not for you. So...thank you."

Seto stared at him in shock, at a complete loss for words. That Yugi had trusted him with this was gratifying, in its way, but...it didn't disguise the fact that he had truly come close to being murdered. If he hadn't arrived when he did...if he hadn't gotten that report, hadn't seen Yugi on camera…

Anger pulsed beneath his horror. _Years_ of torture would not be enough punishment for them. Not for this.

"Yugi…" he managed to get out, through lips that felt numb and cold.

"Sir," the voice of his driver cut through his muddled thoughts and he blinked, looking over at the man. "We're ready." He gestured to them, holding the front door open, the open door of the short limousine mere steps away from it.

Yugi moved first. Still shaking, he made his way to the car and got inside. Seto followed, trying to mentally shake himself back to normal. But he stopped right at the car door when he saw Yugi draw his knees up to his chin, and bury his head in his arms. His entire frame seemed to crumple in on itself as he began to cry in earnest, and Seto finally realized that he'd been barely holding himself together this entire time...trying to be strong.

A soft touch on his arm made him turn, and he raised an eyebrow when he saw that his driver was offering a box of tissues, no doubt something he kept up front with him. He took it with a nod of thanks, and slid into the car, hardly noticing the door being closed behind him.

He slid the box over to Yugi as the driver got into his seat and started up the engine. He nudged Yugi's arm gently as they began to move, causing him to jump.

Apparently, he'd thought he was going home alone.

Tear-filled violet eyes blinked at him almost fearfully, then down at the box of tissues he proffered. Abruptly, he reached out a shaking hand and pulled out several, burying his face into them and letting himself cry, his sobs soft but ragged.

Seto said nothing, not altogether knowing if anything he could say would help. He was not affectionate, nor was he particularly good at comforting someone else, even Mokuba. But he wanted Yugi to know he would be okay.

"I told you I'd make sure you're safe," he said finally. "I will do that. If you can't pay for counseling on your own, I will assist. As long as it takes. You have my word on it."

Yugi gave no indication that he'd heard. Seto didn't press the issue. He let him cry, feeling guilt and anger boil up all over again...along with a fierce desire to protect his rival. No matter what.

Eventually, Yugi spoke through his tears. "Th-they...they said…" he whispered, "they'd break me. They...I...I can't…" he sobbed. "What if...what if they did? I'm so..so afraid…" he trailed off, fingers digging into his left arm, his left hand clutching the tissues against his face.

Seto felt something inside him shift. His throat felt tight. Awkwardly, he reached out his left hand, placing it tentatively on Yugi's shaking shoulder.

"They didn't," he said softly, but firmly. "You have a core of steel. And the heart of a True Duelist. You're hurt...but not broken. Never broken."

Yugi stiffened for one short instant at his touch. Then his right hand shot up...and clutched Seto's, his grip hard and desperate.

They stayed that way for the rest of the ride, only a few short minutes. Despite Yugi's death grip, Seto found it strangely comfortable. It had been a long time since someone had held his hand.

By the time they'd reached the Game Shop, Yugi had calmed down, blown his nose a few times, and straightened a little. Seto didn't move his hand until Yugi relinquished his grip; when he did, he gave his rival's shoulder a little squeeze before letting go. He ignored the sudden desire to actually wrap his arm around him.

The car slowed to a gentle stop. Yugi wadded up his now-considerable pile of tissues into one fist. Seto merely watched him, his thoughts a confused tangle.

"Kaiba," Yugi said, as the driver opened his door. "Thank you...for everything." He looked at him...and, just briefly, he met Seto's gaze. "I'll duel tomorrow."

Seto stared in surprise for a moment. "You don't have to," he said awkwardly. He didn't want this to become a favor owed.

Yugi's mouth twitched slightly. "I want to," he said simply.

Seto nodded, feeling a knot inside his chest loosen. "See you in the arena, then." Yugi nodded in response and got out, fumbling a little with his keys before unlocking the door. Seto watched until the door of the game shop closed behind him. He began making calls as they drove away.

He would make good on his promise to keep Yugi safe. Starting now.

* * *

The next day, Yugi was on the dueling field for the quarter-finals, feet planted, face bruised but determined. The crowd, inevitably having heard the rumors, greeted every appearance, every move he made with a roar of appreciation and support. In their eyes, the King of Games had bounced back from near defeat once again, and they loved him for it.

When they met for their duel, it was for the championship, as Seto had expected.

The surprise, however, and best part...was Yugi's fierce, unwavering gaze boring straight into his own.

He knew it was harder for him than usual. He knew the pain hadn't faded, the fear and humiliation hadn't been forgotten. He knew Yugi would need time to fully heal.

But he'd found his strength. He stood straight and confident, unbroken and unyielding. And looking him right in the eye. Seto couldn't help but feel proud of him.

He smiled slightly. Yugi smiled back.

"Duel."


End file.
